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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump Maintains Lead in GOP Race; Trump Claims Iran Funds ISIS; Turkey Strikes at Kurd Separatists; State of Emergency in Ferguson; Life in Damascus
Aired August 11, 2015 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HALA GORANI, ANCHOR, "THE WORLD RIGHT NOW," CNN, LONDON: Tonight, Trump on top, as a new poll keeps the Republican candidate firmly in the lead.
Donald Trump is challenged on foreign policy and he tells CNN why he believes Iran is funding ISIS. Plus Turkey hits back against Kurdish
separatists, warning that the battle will go on until it says all terrorists have been wiped out.
Also, with a state of emergency in effect in Ferguson today, I will speak to a prominent activist who found himself arrested. And bumper to
bumper on the streets of Damascus just to get gas. CNN gets a rare insight into life in the Syrian capital.
Hello, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani. We're live at CNN London. Thanks for being with us. This is "The World Right Now."
He's blond, no doubt about that. He's outspoken, we know that as well. He's offensive to some, we've seen that over the last several weeks.
However, poll numbers just released suggest that Donald Trump's recent controversial remarks have not hurt his standing among Republican voters,
at least in one critical state. Trump is still leading the pack of GOP candidates for President in Iowa, and it's a significant state. It's a
small but significant state. It is the first to vote on party nominations in the United States. The poll was taken on August 7th through the 10th.
Most after that debate and after Trump's remarks about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and other controversial remarks. Trump spoke to CNN today
about women. Listen.
DONALD TRUMP, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN: I've always been good to women and there will nobody be better to women as the President because I will
take care. When I talk about health issues, I will take care of women like nobody else can. I will be so good to women. I cherish women. I will be
so good to women, I will work hard to protect women.
GORANI: Donald Trump there speaking to my colleague Chris Cuomo. Trump also talks foreign policy and was asked to explain and back up some
of his controversial proposals. Among other things he suggested Iran wants to destroy the world. And Trump also accused Iran of funding ISIS, even
though the Shia regime is waging a battle against the Sunni militants. Listen.
TRUMP: I would take the oil away, I'd take their money away, I'd take their source of money away.
CHRIS CUOMO, CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR, "NEW DAY," CNN, NEW YORK: How do you take the oil?
TRUMP: I'd make sure that Saudi Arabia and, by the way, Iran, which gives plenty of money to ISIS, I would make sure, I -- believe it or not,
Iran is funneling money into ISIS too and Iraq is going to Iran just like I predicted in 2004.
CUOMO: So how do you do it? Do you put troops on the ground?
TRUMP: I would go in and take the oil and I'd put troops to protect the oil. I would absolutely go and I'd take their money source away and,
believe me, they would start to whither and they would collapse.
CUOMO: But you have to get the oil and, you know, Iran would say we're actually one of the ones who are fighting you -- fighting ISIS for
you in a lot of places and that's why they got some leverage at that deal (inaudible).
TRUMP: Well, look, all the problems (inaudible) disaster with Iran. Do you know, even if the deal isn't approved, if the deal isn't approved,
they still get the money? Which is something I heard the other day, which is im. They're going to be so rich, so powerful, so mean. They're going
to be so angry.
CUOMO: Well, that's not exactly how it works. If they don't do what they need to do there is snapback.
TRUMP: (inaudible) it's going to go down as one of the dumb deals of all time, in my -- and one of the most dangerous deals ever signed.
They're still getting much (inaudible).
CUOMO: The question becomes what was a better deal? What would you do? You know you can't sit down.
TRUMP: Oh, I would have -- what would I have done?
CUOMO: Yes.
TRUMP: First of all, I would have doubled the sanctions. Then I would have said, before we start, I want our prisoners back. Then after
that, I would have made a good deal. And there wouldn't have been 24 days.
CUOMO: But your allies.
TRUMP: And by the way.
CUOMO: But your allies aren't with you on the sanctions, they want to do business.
TRUMP: (inaudible) that's part of leadership. You got to get the allies with you. Ukraine. Why isn't Germany and Europe fighting for
Ukraine? Why are we involved so much with Ukraine instead of Germany? Germany is a very powerful, very rich country. I mean, they don't owe
money like we do. They don't have a $19 trillion, you know, number on their, on their balance sheet that that's going to destroy them eventually.
CUOMO: People will say its leadership, that America goes first.
TRUMP: Germany should be involved. Why isn't Germany and all of the European countries? They're still buying oil, they're still taking gas.
They're taking everything from Russia and we're standing there fighting about Ukraine.
GORANI: OK, this was an opportunity to hear Donald Trump actually defend some of these positions and some also surprising statements like the
fact that Iran is actually funding ISIS. Lots to talk about here. Let's bring in our CNN political analyst, Josh Rogin. He's live in Martha's
Vineyard, where President Barack Obama is on holiday. Josh, let me first - - I mean he didn't -- he says things that factually are tenuous, you know, things like Iran funding ISIS. Does it matter to his supporters?
JOSH ROGIN, POLITICAL ANALYST, CNN, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Well, as you point out, Donald Trump's foreign policy seems to be created on the fly.
So taking it to its logical conclusion, it would result in a U.S. foreign policy that would have tens of thousands of troops on the ground fighting
ISIS and the end of the nuclear deal with Iran, some sort of burden sharing with Germany over Ukraine. It doesn't really make any sense on its face.
To answer your question directly, not it's not likely to impact his support for the very simple reason that his supporters have already baked into
their analysis that Donald Trump is not a foreign policy expert. They don't expect him to be -- have details on foreign policy and he's not
exceeding those expectations. This is part of the Donald Trump phenomenon. He's able to put forth criticisms without putting forth specifics and that
is his brand, that is what he's going with, and that's not likely to change and therefore it's not likely to hurt him.
GORANI: Right. And, Josh, we discussed the poll. Let me just bring the detail of that poll to our viewers as well, conducted in Iowa by
Suffolk University between the 7th and the 10th of August. Interestingly, we have Trump in the lead at 17 percent, Scott Walker at 12 percent, Marco
Rubio at 10 percent, Jim B -- Jeb Bush at only five percent. But let's talk about this 17 percent here. How much is that worrying the GOP?
ROGIN: Well, it's an interesting question because there are two schools of thought inside GOP circles and, according to operatives I've
talked to today, not all believe the conventional wisdom that we should follow these polls and believe that this is a serious and long-term threat
to the other candidates. What many people are pointing to also today are the favorable/unfavorable ratings. And if you look at the
favorable/unfavorable ratings of top candidates like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker, they're actually going up. They're getting better for
them, even as their poll numbers go down. And inside GOP circles, the analysis of this phenomenon is simply that, while the polls will fluctuate
and may -- and there are reasons to be concerned that Trump will have some long-term damage on the party and its chances next November, overall if
Trump does flame out, as many expect, the core candidates, the big candidates are basically doing the same or at least a little better than
they were doing before. So, if and when that happens, they should be fine.
GORANI: All right. Josh Rogin, thanks very much at Martha's Vineyard there. Thanks very much for reacting there to this brand-new
poll. They're still putting Trump in the lead after some of those remarks. Thanks very much. Always good talking to you.
ROGIN: Thank you.
GORANI: Well, speaking of foreign policy, this is something the United States is having to think a lot about and that is what is going on
of course in the Middle East with regards to ISIS and specifically Turkey's involvement in the fight. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is
vowing to keep fighting Kurdish militants until quote not one single terrorist remains. Turkey is intensifying air strikes against the PKK
after a series of attacks Monday killed six members of the security forces. The PKK has now claimed responsibility for one of those attacks, the
bombing of an Istanbul police station. So it's not just the PKK, this is what Turkey's fight is there in the region. It's also ISIS. This is what
the U.S. wants Turkey to participate in. For what's the latest, we're going to Southern Turkey. Our Senior International Correspondent, Nick
Paton Walsh, is live in Gaziantep, Turkey, near the Syrian border. So let's talk a little bit about the U.S. involvement and the fact that the
United States is going to be soon flying sorties from a Tur -- an important Turkish base.
NICK PATON WALSH, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN INTERNATIONAL, BEIRUT: Certainly. And that was I think the thing that
everyone would hope, certainly in Washington, that Turkey would be focused upon, the fight against ISIS. But, as you said, they have decided to
launch this dual-pronged military offensive, hitting both ISIS, but also -- and actually often it seems the 17 airstrikes just today alone, at times
predominantly their longer-term adversary is the Kurds, specifically the PKK and their military wing often found in Turkey. So Turkey, an
extraordinarily complex operation, one that I think particularly frustrates its allies because, as you well know, the United States is using a
particular ally of those Kurdish militants, the YPG, inside Syria to help fight ISIS. That complexity is hard to even explain. Imagine what it must
be like on the battlefield. But today, Hala, we heard a number of statements about a key tenant of Turkish policy here. They have long been
(inaudible) -sizing about the idea of a safe zone. That would be a chunk of territory pretty much between the area of the Syrian border with Turkey
that the Kurds control and the area that an Al Qaeda (inaudible) know as the Nusra Front and other groups there with control up north of Aleppo.
They want to clear ISIS out of a space between them and then effectively make that a safe area, perhaps for refugees or certainly an area which the
Turkish military or groups close to them could control. We've heard today from the Al Qaeda affiliate that they say they'll pull out of that area
because they think staying there will be assisting a Turkish national security goal. They don't want any truck with that. And instead a more
moderate Syrian group, still at times accused of some degree of radicalism but more moderate and certainly closer to Turkey, (Ahrar al-Sham)(ph), have
said they're fully in support of the safe zone. So that's where the Syrian rebels stand. Washington, however, has said there isn't going to be a safe
zone at all and their focus remains fighting ISIS. So huge confusion over this one key tenant of how the ground in Syria alters under this new
Turkish military strategy. More importantly, the Turkish and the Americans have agreed they going to use bases together, but not on much else. They
still seem to be at odds. Hala.
GORANI: I mean, it just -- it seems like everyone is pursuing a different goal here and that even though publically their pronouncements of
course that everyone's on the same page. Nick Paton Walsh is in Gaziantep, and we'll get back to Nick of course for more as details emerge on this
important story.
Back to Europe and Greece and its creditors have reached a deal on the terms of a third bailout package, finally. But that doesn't mean the
cash-strapped country is out of the woods. Greek officials were seen leaving after another all night negotiating session. This particular deal
is worth up to $95 billion. It still needs approval from the Euro Zone and creditors. (inaudible) also have to pass more reforms in order to get the
cash. Sound familiar? Yes, indeed, this is something that happened just a few weeks ago in a similar way.
Speaking of markets and the economy, it's been a rough ride on global mar -- markets today after a surprise decision from China to devalue its
currency. China's Central Bank allowed its currency, the Yuan, to depreciate by nearly two percent against the dollar. It's the largest
devaluation in two decades. The move comes after data showing a weakening in Chinese exports. So what are the implications for all of us, for the
whole world? Richard Quest joins me now to explain. Well, obviously, Richard, China is devaluing so that its products are cheaper aboard and so
that it's able to sell more outside of China here.
RICHARD QUEST, ANCHOR AND BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT, CNN, NEW YORK: Yes, I mean that is the -- the core economics, if you like. The Economics
101, the technical fundamental is you devalue your currency and therefore you make your exports more attractive, imports become more expensive, you
reverse the balance of trade. And that's the sort of the, the, the traditional, conventional way. But I think there's a lot more at play here
than just that. Because you're talking about a mere two percent devaluation. You can see -- it looks disproportionately large on the chart
that you're seeing there because of the scale and the fact also that China has kept the (inaudible) of the Yuan in a very tight range for so long.
Two percent is quite large. Putting it to the reasons why, Hala, and what's likely to happen.
First of all, you do have the question of trade. Who suffers, who gains? Chinese exporters are most certainly going to benefit. Those co --
those country -- those companies sending out. But then you've got the commodity companies in Australia, you've got the United States. They will
suffer their products become more expensive. Apple, incidentally, is one - - is both ways. It manufactures there and it also sells there. You've then got the threat of a currency war. Does everybody else follow suit? I
think that's unlikely on a mere two percent devaluation. But if you start to see a dramatic reversal in trade, Hala, then of course that would make a
difference. So finally, does this have an impact for the Fed? The Fed is deciding to raise interest rates, possibly as early as September. Now, if
this move by the Chinese also plays into it, does the Fed stand off? I don't think they do.
GORANI: All right. And quickly, I've got to ask you -- I mean the market reaction was pretty terrible. What's the concern for investors on a
market like the New York Stock Exchange here?
QUEST: Just looking over my shoulder, down 207 points on a day -- on a day after another 200 point fall. Very simply, is this going to clobber
big U.S. exporters? General Electric, Boeing, the big aluminum companies? Is this going to clobber them because their goods are more expensive? It
may only be two percent at the moment, Hala, but does it presage something larger and greater still to come?
GORANI: Presage. I like the way you said that. Richard Quest, thanks very much. We'll see you on "Quest Means Business".
QUEST: You will.
GORANI: .at the top of the hour. All right. Still to come tonight, a state of emergency remains in effect in Ferguson, Missouri. We'll look
at the latest process and arrests as well. Some well-known faces. And later, an effort to cool days of heated process in Iraq. We'll see how
lawmakers weighed in on some anti-corruption reforms, but are they convincing anyone in the country? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Welcome back. Dutch officials say that debris found at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 may be Russian surface-to-air
missile parts. Investigators are still examining the debris and have yet to confirm if it had anything to do with the crash. The Malaysian airliner
was shot down over eastern Ukraine last year, killing all 298 people on board. Pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces have blamed each other for
downing the plane.
In the United States a state of emergency remains in effect in and around Ferguson, Missouri. Tense today, but so far calm. Police and
protestors clashed during overnight protests marking one year since the death of Michael Brown. And they were joined by an armed group vowing to
keep the peace, as Ryan Young shows us.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN, CHICAGO: Overnight several arrests made as rocks and frozen water bottles were thrown at
police. Protestors taking to the streets, blocking traffic. Authorities earlier declared a state of emergency in Ferguson as protestors continue
for a second night surrounding the anniversary of Michael Brown's death. Armored police vehicles back on the street, police lining up in riot gear.
Around 2:00 am a puzzling scene. A small group of heavily-armed men walk into the crowd of protestors, calling themselves the Oath Keepers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody has a right to be safe and secure in their person and things.
YOUNG: The men say they're protecting rioters with (Infowars)(ph), a site run by conspiracy theorists. They say police are leaving them alone.
Earlier on Monday, protestors shut down the interstate in St. Louis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many of the -- the people who have their own agendas, who do wish to escalate violence, they mix in with a lot of the
peaceful protestors, so it is difficult and particularly for law enforcement who has no idea oftentimes who is who.
YOUNG: Tensions growing after a reported four shootings Sunday night. Eighteen-year-old Tyrone Harris remains in critical condition after
being shot by police late Sunday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please get him some help.
GORANI: Ryan Young was reporting there from Ferguson, and we should tell you that Tyrone Harris has been charged with assault and other crimes.
Police also arrested several prominent civil rights activists Monday in St. Louis. I'll speak to one of them later in this newscast. So a lot more
there from the U.S. state of Missouri.
Moving on to Iraq, the government is moving ahead with sweeping anti- corruption reforms. Parliament has approved the Prime Minister's proposals to eliminate top leadership posts, as our (Dumana Karacha)(ph) reports, the
changes were introduced after weeks of growing public anger.
(DUMAN KARACHA): This is the sound of a people who've simply had enough. Iraqis took to the streets in demonstrations calling for change,
political reforms, holding corrupt officials accountable, and demanding the basic services that government after government for more than a decade has
failed to restore. The protests in Baghdad and other cities were prompted by continuing power cuts as the country faced one of the worst heat waves
in its recent history. On Sunday Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in what appeared to be a response to the streets and a call for serious action by
Iraq's most influential Shia cleric, announced a series of bold measures, the most drastic reforms since 2003.
SAJAD JAYAD, IRAQ ANALYST: It might the first time that we a have a (inaudible) -cracy that actually changed things on the ground, rather than
just continue in the same mold as its predecessors. Time passes by, elections are (inaudible) and nothing really changes on the ground.
(DUMAN KARACHA): Al-Abadi's reform package was swiftly approved by his cabinet on Sunday and on Tuesday Parliament unanimously voted in favor
approving the reforms. The measures include eliminating the senior posts of three Vice-Presidents and three Deputy Prime Ministers, posts held by
top politicians like Nouri al-Maliki and Ayad Allawi. The positions are allocated based on the sectarian and ethnic quota system created by the
United States in 2003. But many Iraqis feel this system is ineffective and part of the problem. Other measures also include cutting back on the
(coffee)(ph) security allowances provided to officials, and more corruption investigations. Despite the public backing of his reforms by Iraq's
politicians, it remains unclear how and when these reforms will be implemented.
JAYAD: I think honestly the crises are not going to go away, even if they hear the words from the Prime Minister and other politicians. They
want to see action on the ground. And that'll take some time. Today (inaudible) it isn't something that will happen in the next week.
(inaudible) This will be a month process and I think (inaudible) are very likely to keep up pressure on the government while this process happens.
(DUMAN KARACHA): In a country where political instability and grievances have historically created fertile ground for terrorist groups to
thrive, Iraq's politicians cannot afford to ignore the rising discontent on their streets. (Humana Kanachi), CNN, Amman.
GORANI: Coming up, on "The World Right Now," C is for change. Google is now part of Alphabet. We'll speak to business correspondent
Samuel Burke about Google's major restructuring. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: The search engine you use will probably look the same but, behind the scenes, Google is changing and it's changing a lot. The tech
giant is creating a publically-traded umbrella company called Alphabet to run its diverse array of businesses. Co-founders Larry Page and Sergey
Brin will run that while Sundar Pichai will become Google's new CEO. Lots of changes. Let's get more analysis. Samuel Burke comes to us now from
New York. All right. Why -- first of all, explain the new structure.
SAMUEL BURKE, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT, CNN, NEW YORK: Yes, it's quite interesting. It's very rare that you see one of the most recognizable
names in the world opt -- opt for a completely new name, Alphabet. Alpha is because alpha's a term for something that can outperform the general
market, bet because Google thinks they're making a smart bet. So here what you're seeing, Alphabet is the new company. That's the mac daddy, the
overall arching umbrella part of the company. But Google will still exist to us as we know it. That's not going to change. Google.com. That will
stay in place. You have the search engine, Android, Youtube, apps, and Google Maps, that all remains under the Google umbrella. What they're
doing here is they're breaking out other parts of the company that really don't have to do with the core, and that core is display adds. So you have
ventures like Fiber, that's the high-speed internet that Google provides here in the United States. That'll be a separately managed division. Then
you have other parts like Calico, that's the part of the company that's developing contact lenses that can help diabetics. And then you have other
places like Nest. Those are the devices for the smart home. And the reason why investors -- I think the reason the stock is up four percent
today is we've heard from investors they wanted clarity from Google. Most people are investing in Google because of the core strength, display ads on
places like the search engine and Youtube, and they wanted to know what was happening with the rest of the money on these projects that even Google
admits are pretty far flung. So they said that this will give them some more clarity but, at the end of the day, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey
Brin will run the larger company, and the former Android boss, Sindar Pichai, he becomes the new and third CEO of Google. But what I'm hearing
over and over again from investors, Hala, clarity. They're going to have a better sense of what's going on at Google and they're saying in their
reports -- each quarterly report they're going to have a clearer sense of what's being broken out and what's making money where, and what's not
making money at Google. Or is that Alphabet?
GORANI: Right. Well, let's --the new CEO now, he's been at Google for 10 years. I'm talking of course there about Sindar Pichai. What is --
why was he selected? What does he bring to the table here?
BURKE: Well, it's interesting. I just got back from Silicon Valley and people have been asking what's going to happen with this guy because
he's so well-know, he's so respected in the Valley. People were thinking that he's actually going to be plucked away from Google and probably to
another company. So this in a way is probably -- you know, it's good for their corporate structure they believe, but this creates another
opportunity for him to have this amazing CEO title of Google. So it helps retain him, and he had a real history, a very strong history, in Silicon
Valley at Google. He created Google toolbar. You don't -- I don't know if you remember that, but that was what you used on Internet Explorer so you
could use the Google search engine. Then he helped create the Chrome browser and people thought, why another browser after Internet Explorer,
Firefox -- Firefox, etcetera, and then he created this browser which is now the most used browser. So here's somebody who has real umph behind him.
And it's interesting. It's an interesting moment for Silicon Valley. Another Indian-born CEO taking over a major technology company. Of course
the other one that comes to mind is the CEO of Microsoft and he tweeted out a congratulatory message to Sindar Pichai a short time ago there. Satya
Nadella, who's of course the CEO of Microsoft, "Congrats. Well deserved." But get this, also the Prime Minister of India tweeting out
"Congratulations to the new CEO of Google." When you got promoted the last time, did the president or prime minister tweet about you, Hala?
GORANI: No, I can't say that anyone's ever tweeted. I think if I'm lucky if my mom tweets about it. But, you know what, if you become CEO.
BURKE: Your mom -- your mom tweets?
GORANI: No, actually she doesn't. But if you become CEO of Google one day, Samuel Burke, I think you'll get well-deserved praise from the
most powerful people in the world of course. It's like being president of a country, isn't it now?
BURKE: I just -- I just want a tweet from you, Hala, that's it. @Halagorani and I'll be happy.
GORANI: You will get one. But think about it. The CEO of Google, the CEO, I mean the heads of huge technology companies, they are making new
rules, they are changing -- they're sitting on piles of cash that more than medium-sized countries have.
BURKE: I know. It's incredible when I was just looking at how much the market cap -- the market capitalization for Google goes up, it goes up
four percent and you're talking about tens of billions of dollars of difference. It's incredible.
GORANI: It's money a country like Greece could use, for instance.
BURKE: Absolutely.
GORANI: Samuel Burke, thanks very much, in New York.
The latest news headlines just ahead. Plus we are live in Damascus. CNN gets a rare first-hand look at daily life for those struggling to get
by as Syria's civil war rages on all around. Also ahead, anger and outrage, clashes break out as Europe's migrant crisis intensifies in
Greece. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Welcome back. Take a look -- let's a look at your headlines. And we'll start with Turkey's President vowing to go after
Kurdish militants until quote not one single terrorist remains. Turkey is intensifying air strikes against the PKK after those deadly attacks against
its security forces. The PKK claimed responsibility for one of those attacks, a bombing in Istanbul.
Also among the top stories, a down day on global markets today after a surprise move from China. The country's Central Bank devalued the Yuan
by nearly two percent against the dollar. It's the largest devaluation in two decades.
New details emerging today about the investigation into the downing of flight MH-17. Possible parts from a surface-to-air missile have been
found in the area where the plane was shot. Investigators are still examining them and warn they haven't confirmed, if they are, that caused
the crash.
Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Reactor number one at the Sendai plant passed strict
safety regulations, but anti-nuclear activists say the government is ignoring seismic and volcanic risks. And there are concerns the reactor is
aging.
Despite months of diplomacy, Saudi Arabia and Russia have failed to find common ground on a key issue in the Syrian civil war, the fate of
President Bashar al-Assad. Talks today ended without agreement. Russia argue that a coalition to fight ISIS militants must include Assad. The
Syrian President has been a long-term Russian ally. Saudi Arabia, however, says Mr. Assad is part of the problem, not the solution.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We believe that the main source, the main reason behind the creation of
Islamic state was the behavior of Bashar al-Assad because he directed his weapons, not against Islamic state, but against his own people. That's why
we do not see a place for Bashar al-Assad in the Syria future.
GORANI: The Syrian civil war of course has dragged on with devastating consequences since 2011, with hundreds of thousands of deaths
and no end in sight. For people living in the country, it's meant dealing with major daily hardships. And I'm talking about those who are able to
stay within their own country. So many have fled. CNN is getting some rare insight into daily life in Syria. This week our own Fred Pleitgen is
live in Damascus. Hi, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN, LONDON: Hi, Hala. You're absolutely right. The hardships certainly are getting
more for people who are here in Damascus. One of the things that we've seen in the past couple of hours is that there has actually been increased
artillery shelling here in the Syrian capitol. One of the interesting things that's happened over the past couple of months is that the battle
lines here in Damascus seem to be more entrenched than they were before. You have the rebels in certain areas, who really haven't been able to make
any sort of gains but also haven't lost very much territory. And they are often getting pounded by the artillery of the Syrian government, which is
also something that we saw tonight happen quite frequently. For the people themselves, they have to deal with a lot of hardships. There's a lot of
goods that are very difficult to get. One of the other things that's a problem is that the goods that you can get are a lot more expensive than
they were before. And there's one area specifically where people have a lot of trouble, and that is getting fuel for their vehicles, but also of
course for other things as well. Today we tried it ourselves to get fuel here in Damascus. Here's what happens.
Driving here in Damascus has actually become really difficult since the onset of the civil war. There's a lot of traffic, obviously because of
the many checkpoints that are here in the city. But one thing that's also become really hard is actually getting fuel. Now what you have is there
are certain days where there won't be any fuel at all, where the gas stations will simply be closed. But very often the people, especially in
summer, have to wait very, very long. There're some who tell us that they spend hours in lines, trying to get gasoline. And that's actually exactly
what we're going to try to do right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The fuel prices has really increased and it makes life very difficult. You can sometimes pay as much
as a fifth of your salary just for gasoline. It's (hot)(ph). Because it's not just fuel that's gotten more expensive, but pretty much all other goods
as well.
PLEITGEN: It really is difficult to move your way forwards in these gasoline lines. I'm not actually very good at it. Trying to force your
way into these little spaces. And what happens is that people get really angry. There's a lot of honking going on sometimes fights break out here.
And so what's happened is that the Syrians have actually deployed military personnel or security personnel to these gas stations to make sure that
people don't break out into fistfights. And the way these gas stations work is that you have one or two lines for regular people, then you'll have
a line for the military, which obviously means they get fuel a lot quicker, and then you also have a line for government workers. So there is a sort
or hierarchy here as well. The other big problem that people here deal with is, aside from the fact that it takes very long to actually get fuel,
it's also become much more expensive. And people that we've been speaking to here at the gas station say that the fuel prices have increased four-
fold, so it's four times as expensive today as it was about a year ago. And of course the prices keep rising as the crisis keeps going on. Now it
has some dips as well. There'll be times when the government will be able to get more fuel, and then the prices will decrease for a little while.
But by and large, they do keep going up. So getting fuel is something that is really important to people here and certainly something that isn't easy.
Of course something that also feeds into that hardship, Hala, is that of course the salaries here in Syria have by no means increased. In fact,
they've decreased in many cases. Unemployment is something that's also a lot higher as well. So people aren't making more money to be able to pay
for all of these things. And then of course you also have the fact that that increased fuel also means it's more expensive to get things like fruit
and vegetables here into the city to sell them. So this is really a whole snowball effect of rising prices as the fuel crisis goes on. And one of
the other things people have to deal with as well that we time and again here is very long power outages, not just here in Damascus, but in other
places as well. So certainly it is very, very difficult for the folks who, as you said, were able to stay here. And then on top of that you still
have a lot of people who are coming in from the areas, for instance, that have just been taken over by ISIS and are internally displaced and coming
here to places like Damascus. And that makes the problem even bigger, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Fred Pleitgen in Damascus. Thanks very much. Syria's civil war has led many to flee the country, as we've been
discussing. And for some Europe is a dream destination for a new life. However, clashes erupted today between police and crowds of migrants newly
arrived in Greece. Take a look at these pictures from the Greek island of Kos. Some 2,000 migrants had their registration delayed. Tensions rose.
Kos is a common entry point for migrants. It's very close to Turkey. But reality of what they find does not always meet or match expectations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't see we are in Europe. I see we are in third world countries. No toilets, no water. People have been waiting for
more than 10 years -- 10 days. What can I say? Is this Europe? If this is Europe, we're going back to Syria.
GORANI: Some Syrian refugees do stay, of course, and some press on all the way to the edge of mainland Europe to Calais, where the migrant
crisis is also escalating. Thousands of migrants have tried to enter the channel tunnel through the French terminal to reach the U.K. By foot it's
dangerous. They often get caught. CNN spoke to one Syrian hoping to make that journey. Kellie Morgan has the story.
KELLIE MORGAN, PRODUCER, CNN, LONDON: A Syrian father of two shows us where he sleeps in Calais' so-called jungle. These are his only
belongings. So different to what he had.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I owned by house in (Brotba)(ph). Also one in Damascus. I had a happy life.
MORGAN: Now (Abe Mohammed) (ph), which is not his real name, says he lives in fear of both the Syrian government and ISIS.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our home is destroyed. We spent a year with (Dash)(ph). It was difficult life. We escaped from
them. There were too many restrictions, even religion. They have harmed religion. For them it's just a cover.
MORGAN: Raqqa remains the de facto capitol for the Islamic state in Syria and is a regular target of coalition air strikes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Today our children have lost their smile. They only know fear. The sounds of bombs, explosions. Today
they live in terror.
MORGAN: (Abe Mohammed)(ph) fled Damascus on July 3rd, in the hope of finding sanctuary for his family who remain in Syria. He crossed into
Lebanon and a day later arrived in Turkey, where he stayed for two weeks before boarding a boat in Izmir, bound for Greece. After four days at
Athens, (Abe Mohammed) crossed into Macedonia, where he took a train to Serbia before walking to Hungary. From there the journey was by car,
through Austria and Germany. He then boarded a train to France, arriving in Calai 28 days after he left home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When we left Turkey we got lost at sea for around seven hours. We nearly drowned several times. On
the road from Hungary we encountered gangs, bandits.
MORGAN: After traveling more than 5,600 kilometers, this is not the destination (Abe Mohammed) envisioned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Here at the camp we sleep on the ground. There is nothing else. They offer us only one meal a day.
Some charities offer us some help. Nothing else. We have to queue up for the bathroom. You have to be there on time between 12 to 3 pm, or you miss
out.
MORGAN: Like hundreds of other migrants, he still hopes to get to the U.K., just 33 kilometers across the English Channel, so close yet still
so very far.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm not worried about my own life, but I'm worried about the future of the young children who need
education. Education is important, especially for Muslims. It is the path to paradise.
MORGAN: A path that for now remains closed. Kellie Morgan, CNN, Calais, France.
GORANI: And if you want to see what this camp looks like, there are pictures on CNN.com. It gives you an idea really of the terrible
conditions some of these migrants live in.
This is "The World Right Now." After the break, arrests in Missouri are happening both in and outside of Ferguson. Police led away dozens of
people in St. Louis yesterday, including well-known activists like Deray McKesson. I'll talk to him live after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: The tense situation in Ferguson, Missouri. The city remains under a state of emergency. Expect police to be on patrol again tonight
after more demonstrations and more arrests last night. Protestors are marching to mark of course the first anniversary of the police shooting and
the death of Michael Brown. During daylight hours on Monday, police made dozens more arrests at a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in St. Louis.
You can see here author and professor and civil rights activist Cornell West being led away. He was among several prominent activists who were
arrested yesterday. Another is Deray McKesson, and Deray McKesson joins me now live from Ferguson.
I understand there's a bit of commotion there around the police station area where you. Deray, we were planning on taking you live in
vision, but you're on the phone for that reason. Can you tell us what's going on?
DERAY MCKESSON, AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: No, it's actually calm right now. The media is actually being removed from across the street
by the (inaudible), but they are not currently (inaudible) right now.
GORANI: All right. So it's calm but it's just their satellite truck was moved, which is why we're talking to you on the phone.
McKESSON: Correct.
GORANI: Tell us what happened yesterday.
McKESSON: As the protest continued there were a couple actions. There were four actions yesterday where protestors continued the work of
confronting efforts (inaudible) at killing people. Remember the police have killed (inaudible) people since August. They paralyzed one and
another one is in critical condition. So the protests remain because injustice remains.
GORANI: But you were arrested. What was it exactly that you were charged with? You were in front of the Justice Department building in St.
Louis, correct?
McKESSON: Yes, because people were -- there was an action that the (inaudible) he had organized, (inaudible) the Justice Department about
their actions across the country and definitely he had in Ferguson with the consent decree. Remember the Ferguson City Council, pushing back on the
consent decree and not participating fully with the Department of Justice. And I was arrested because my partner, (inaudible), she was filming the
police and got arrested, and was questioning her arrest and they arrested me as well.
GORANI: I find it interesting. Who arrested you because something you tweeted out was that the Department of Homeland Security was monitoring
your e-mail, and that you received documents to confirm this, and that someone also tweeted out that officers from the Department of Homeland
Security were -- were stopping people. Is that what you witnessed and experienced?
McKESSON: No, what happened yesterday, as I said, is St. Louis Metro Police (changed the videos)(ph) they made the arrests and put us in the
custody of the U.S. Marshalls. And then at the very end of the processing, officers from the Department of Homeland Security are the people who
actually gave us the (ticket)(ph).
GORANI: I see, and what about this idea that somehow you feel like - - because you're one of the most prominent activists. You start these hashtag campaigns that really get people talking, especially since other
cases of, of, of -- prominent cases of, of black men who lost their lives at the hands of police. Do you feel you're being watched or monitored?
McKESSON: Yes, I know I'm being watched and monitored. It doesn't change the way that I do the work. I'll never be afraid to tell the truth.
I mean that's important to me. So the work continues. You know, I'm thoughtful about my safety and how I protect information. But again, ever
since there (inaudible), I'm pretty sure that the police still (inaudible) the people quietly tweeted. So, there's that.
GORANI: And do you think anything is changing, lastly I've got to ask you because it's been one year now since the death of Michael Brown.
And we've talked a lot, even internationally, about these cases and the campaigns that you've helped start. Are you sensing a shift on any level?
McKESSON: Yes, I think that, you know, a year later there's a national conversation about police and race that just did not exist a year
ago. People are more critical of police narratives and more open to questioning than they ever have been. And that matters. You know, we
spent a year trying to expose and convince -- expose police violence and convince people about it, and we've done it. People now accept the crisis
across the country. They accept it. And the need to change. The next year of the work will be about (inaudible). About how do we understand
what's possible, and then building that world again.
GORANI: Deray McKesson, thanks very much for joining us from Ferguson, Missouri, and telling us about your experience over the last
several days as well. Thanks for joining us on the line there.
A lot more coming up. He's known for playing the world's most famous detective. So how will Benedict Cumberbatch embrace Shakespeare's most
famous, tragic hero? We'll have that special story for you after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Decades after World War II ended, the conflict is still having an impact on life in London, believe it or not. Today hundreds of
people in the British capitol had to be evacuated after an unexploded bomb was discovered. Ian Lee has that.
IAN LEE, CORRESPONDENT, CNN, CAIRO: London's darkest hour during World War II, thousands upon thousands of German bombs raining down on the
city. Eight months in history simply known as the Blitz. Each dot here represents a strike in London. Pull back and you can see its enormity.
But some never exploded and generations later they are still being unearthed. The latest, a 500-pound bomb found by builders in East London.
Authorities quickly evacuated more than a hundred residents, some to a nearby school.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: One of our boys, he was upstairs. He said to me, Ma'am, and he said they're found a bomb. Round the corner in
(Weekly)(ph) Street.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Not really scary per se. Because I think this happens quite a lot.
LEE: Residents may be fairly nonchalant about having an unexploded bomb in their neighborhood, just a few blocks away, but you have to
remember in the 1940s this death from above instilled absolute terror inside the people of London.
Roughly 30,000 Londoners would lose their lives among the rubble. Bomb disposal experts, veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
successfully diffused and removed the explosive. It's unknown how many bombs from World War II remain entombed under London. And with the 75th
anniversary of the battle of Britain this summer, these bombs serve as a reminder of the horrors of war. Ian Lee, CNN, London.
GORANI: Well, during Monday night's show we shared how actor Benedict Cumberbatch felt about the audience using cell phones during his
performance of Hamlet in London, filming him in particular. Doesn't like it all, says it's distracting. Shakespeare's tragic here is an iconic role
many famous actors have taken on through the years. Isa Soares has that.
ISA SOARES, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR, CNN, LONDON: This award-winning performance from Laurence Olivier as Shakespeare's
Hamlet came with international accolades. Since then other leading actors have stepped forward to take on this dramatic role. Richard Burton,
Michael Redgrave, Jonathan Pryce, Kenneth Branagh, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Michael Sheen, John Gielgud, all braved this stage. Now
that role is being taken up by "Sherlock" star, Benedict Cumberbatch.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ENGLISH ACTOR AND FILM PRODUCER (on videotape): I hardly knew myself, Mrs. Hudson. That's the trouble with dismembered
country squires.
ED KEMP, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ROYAL ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART, LONDON: What we are paying to see an actor is their imagination, their talent,
their egos. And in the end, any great performance is an extraordinary fusion of the writer, the director's imagination, and the actor's
imagination. And that's what we're paying for.
SOARES: Cumberbatch fans it seems are already excited about his performance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to do something different with it, like so many actors have done. Like Jude Law's done and (inaudible) Shaw,
you know. David Tennant, they've all done something different with it. And it's just -- I think it's, it's every actor's dream, isn't it?
SOARES: Despite the dream role, it seem Cumberbatch hasn't taken too well to fans using their phones during his performance.
CUMBERBATCH: I can cameras, I can see red lights in the auditorium.
SOARES: This is a demanding role for any top actor. It is a marathon of a play, absolutely relentless, three hours long. So you
imagine concentration is very much required, and that's not easy to do when you have these things blinking in the audience.
CUMBERBATCH: It's mortifying and there's nothing less supportive or (enjoyable)(ph) than that to be on stage experiencing that.
SOARES: Cumberbatch has a large and young TV following, thanks in part to his "Sherlock" role. But with all the excitement, can his fans
stay away from social media for the duration of the play?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe he should have one performance where everybody can tape it but, for the majority of the performances, I think
he's quite right. Turn your phones off. They deserve all the respect they can get. To be on a stage, you know, have rehearsed for months I'm sure.
And it's -- that's the least you can give them.
SOARES: Isa Soares, CNN, London.
GORANI: Finally, it may not be everyone's idea of a treat, but for astronauts on the International Space Station, red Romaine lettuce is on
the menu and it was grown in space. One of NASA's goals is to figure how to grow food in space for future long-term missions. The growth system was
tested on earth, and the plants were checked for safety. Half of this harvest will be sent back for more testing.
I'm Hala Gorani. Don't forget you can get the latest news and interviews and analysis from my Facebook page. Facebook.com/HalagoraniCNN.
We always appreciate your input and thanks for dropping by, and thanks for being with us this hour as well as we come to you live from London. This
has been "The World Right Now." After a quick break, it is Quest Means Business.
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